'You couldn’t move in here’: Surviving lockdown at the post office

Most businesses were forced to shut or reduce hours, the roads became empty, and nearly everything stopped.

Nearly everything.

With 20,000 people isolating at home, demand on delivery and postal services skyrocketed.

People needed more items — medicine, clothes, food, everything — delivered, and care packages from other parts of the state also flooded in.

Australia Post Shepparton Business Centre business services manager Kate Peterson said it was unlike anything she’d ever seen in her two decades of work.

“You couldn’t move in here,” she said, gesturing to the large space behind the business centre where packages are sorted.

Then, the centre became an exposure site, ruling out some staff for a morning, some for longer.

Ms Peterson was one of the staff members cleared within hours of a test on the Sunday night, and came in on Monday.

She had one other staff member helping with the sorting of parcels — down from four.

Normally there are about 25 big bins full of parcels — called ULDs — to deal with per day.

On that Monday there were more than 40.

“Oh my goodness, like, I have never seen anything like what I saw,” Ms Peterson said.

It left workers exhausted and pushed to the limit, as customers were also struggling.

“We had customers break down and cry at the counter because they couldn’t be with their families, so we were that contact point. We gave them time and said `it’s okay’,” she said.

“That’s not to say every customer was nice and understanding during that time, because it was a challenging time.

“We play a pretty important part, moving forward.”

However, they got through it — somehow.

Ms Peterson said there were issues they couldn’t avoid. There were delays and changing restrictions and other issues beyond their control which affected service.

Post offices nationwide have been forced to adapt to the seismic shift in the volume of work required since the pandemic, on top of adopting more services during the past few years.

Identity services, passports, tax file numbers and land titles can all be completed at a post office.

As more bank branches across regional areas close, post offices have been used more frequently.

“We’re not just a traditional ‘come in and send your parcels’ place any more,’’ Ms Peterson said.

“The small business area has just grown immensely, because people are learning to be creative, and do it from their own kitchen tables.

"We’re a massive supporter of small business.’’

However, she said fostering that sense of community was still a big part of the job.

“Being able to help people is a huge part of why we do what we do.”